2 sitting GOP lawmakers battle each other in Utah Senate primary

RIVERTON – Voters across Utah are receiving their ballots this week for the upcoming primary election.

In one Utah Senate race, something rare is happening. Two sitting Republican lawmakers, Sen. Dan McCay, R-Riverton, and Rep. Doug Fiefia, R-Herriman, are battling each other for the same position in Senate District 18, which covers parts of Salt Lake and Utah counties.

Both candidates are conservative, and both are in the Legislature. So, what's the difference?

McCay points to his seniority and experience, which he says matters on Capitol Hill.

"I'm hopeful that a track record like mine is one that shows being conservative and working for Utah families is something that Utah voters still want to elect," McCay said.

Fiefia, on the other hand, believes voters are ready for a change.

"What I'm hearing," he said, "is a lot of them are tired of hearing the same people tell them the same promises year after year, and families paying the price."

Unexpected challenge

McCay, 52, is an attorney who manages a real estate portfolio. He's been in the Utah Legislature since 2012.

Late last year, he said, he learned that Fiefia was challenging him for the seat, despite agreeing to endorse him several weeks earlier for reelection.

"I was not expecting to have him consider running," McCay said.

Fiefia, 37, said he decided to run against McCay at the "last second" rather than seek a second term in the Utah House of Representatives, where he's served since last year.

"This has never been about me versus him," said Fiefia. "I'm running for the people."

During the Utah Republican Convention in April, Fiefia nearly defeated McCay outright, winning nearly 59% of the delegate vote. But that was just enough for McCay to stay alive politically.

Both candidates are now busy courting votes ahead of the primary election later this month.

What the candidates say

In mailers and on billboards, McCay regularly touts his background cutting taxes.

"We've cut $1.5 billion, and that's been a significant effort that I've led the charge on," he said. "That effort is one to try and keep and make Utah more affordable."

Fiefia, who has worked in the tech sector, often focuses on social media and artificial intelligence. During the last legislative session, he brought actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt to the Capitol to advocate for his bill regulating AI companies, which ultimately did not pass.

"I think we need more legislators who understand technology," Fiefia said, "because that's where the future is going."

Recently, Utah has been the center of national attention because of a proposed data center in Box Elder County, which is being pushed by celebrity businessman Kevin O'Leary.

Fiefia said he supports data centers "if it is a true net benefit for people," but he believes the process for building them should be more transparent. Top Utah leaders have recently backpedaled their support for O'Leary's data center amid strong public opposition.

"It was probably something that was a failure on the part of all leaders. I think the fact that I didn't know as a state legislator – it's a failure on my part that I didn't know until it was on the news," Fiefia said. "I think we need to do a better job and pass laws to improve the process so that it's transparent and that the public can hold us accountable to the decisions we're making on their behalf."

McCay said while Utah needs to be innovative and business friendly, developers should not be given perks to build data centers "in a desert."

"I'm not sure that offering taxpayer incentives for a data center really shows that the government is working for the people," McCay said.

What's next?

Both Fiefia and McCay have several weeks left until the June 24 primary, at which point their political futures will become clearer.

Fiefia told KSL his challenge of a fellow Republican officeholder is "nothing personal."

"I'm not a career politician. I didn't get into this to be in politics forever," Fiefia said. "I got in to make a difference – to make the impact – and then get out and let someone else come and bring fresh, new ideas."

McCay said he believes he's still well-positioned to fight for Utah families.

"Despite the fact that I may have some gray hairs, I don't think that that means that I'm old or out of touch and not able to do what the people need me to do," he said.

Whoever wins the GOP primary will face Dane Anderson, a Democrat, in the general election in November.

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